BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Star file photo.

Expressing deep concern over the fate of missing BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia this evening said law enforcement agencies are yet to find out her party’s joint secretary general in spite of High Court directives.

The BNP chief reiterated her demand for returning Salahuddin to his family immediately.

“Members of law enforcement agencies picked up one of the top leaders of BNP -- Salahuddin Ahmed -- from a residence in the capital’s Uttara. Two months have passed since the missing, but still there is no trace of Salahuddin. In this background, anxiety of Salahuddin’s family and us is intensifying day by day,” the BNP chairperson said in a statement.

Undersigned by BNP’s International Affairs Secretary Ashaduzzaman Ripon, the statement said apart from Salahuddin, there are many other BNP leaders including M Ilias Ali, Chowdhury Alam, former BNP lawmaker and Laksam BNP leader Saiful Islam Hiru and former organising secretary of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Anisur Rahman Khokon who were subjected to enforced disappearance in the two tenures of Sheikh Hasina government since 2009.

“It could not be known what has happened to their fates as there are no traces of them since their disappearance,” she added.

“Relatives of the missing BNP leaders are still waiting for their near and dear ones to return back amidst them. They don’t know whether their loved ones were murdered without trial. They did not even see dead bodies of their near and dear ones if they were subjected to murder, let alone trial for those murders. Their relatives could not even know the dates of demise of their loved ones -- did not get opportunity of visiting graves or offering milad and prayers on the day of their demise.”

“In this backdrop, we as well as family members of Salahuddin are very much concerned about his fate. Salahuddin’s wife, also a former BNP lawmaker has repeatedly appealed to the prime minister [Sheikh Hasina] to return back her husband. But instead of taking any measure, the premier made cruel mockery on her husband’s missing.”

“Where is the security of common people, if the government and state organs remain silent despite the missing of a BNP leader like the stature of Salahuddin, one of the joint secretary generals of BNP and a former state minister and an important citizen of the country?” questioned Khaleda.

Meanwhile, a delegation of BNP this evening visited Hasina Ahmed, wife of Salahuddin Ahmed, at her Gulshan residence to console her and their children.

Led by BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan, the three member delegation stayed sometime there.

Later, talking to reporters, Hasina Ahmed called upon the government not to do politics on the issue of her missing husband and to return back Salahuddin safe to the family.

“Please do not do politics regarding my husband’s missing. Consider this from humanitarian angle and return back my husband to me and to his children,” Hasina Ahmed said in an emotion chalked voice.

She reiterated her urge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to instruct the law enforcement agencies to return back her husband as what she said members of detectives picked her husband up.